NFL Week 3 in the 2025 season is in the books and offered up quite a few surprises. But which
NFL Week 3 in the 2025 season is in the books and offered up quite a few surprises. But which were the biggest stunners this weekend? We look to answer that question with our rundown of the 10 biggest NFL Week 3 surprises.
Three blocked late-game field goals?
Week 3 in the 2025 NFL season was wild because not one, not two, but three field goals were blocked late in close games. The Cleveland Browns blocked a field goal late that would have given the Green Bay Packers the lead. The New York Jets returned a blocked field goal for a touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but still lost. While the Philadelphia Eagles’ blocked field goal and touchdown closed a wild come-from-behind win over the Los Angeles Rams. Overall, five field goals were blocked on Sunday, two returned for TDs.
Chicago Bears steamroll Dallas Cowboys
There were quite a few surprising results in NFL Week 3. And the Chicago Bears running through the Dallas Cowboys was one of them. After some underwhelming performances to begin the season, young QB Caleb Williams looked outstanding as he tossed for just under 300 yards and four TDs against the ‘Boys struggling defense. However, the Bears’ defense also surprisingly pushed around the Dallas offense and limited them to just 14 points.
Cleveland Browns defense stifles Green Bay Packers
The Browns’ block on the Packers was a massive moment in the biggest upset in NFL Week 3. The Packers entered the game as one of the hottest teams in the league in what seemed like the early stages of their march to the Super Bowl. However, they hit a wall in Cleveland’s defense — which is eighth in our latest rankings. Their pass rush took advantage of injuries to the Pack’s O-line and hounded Jordan Love all day. With the team on the brink of a 0-3 start, the defense carried them to a huge first win this season.
Michael Penix gets benched for Kirk Cousins
There was speculation all week about the Atlanta Falcons trading Kirk Cousins. Since several teams around the league were starting backups in Week 3 and Michael Penix Jr. seemed entrenched in the role. Then Sunday came. The former first-round pick had a nightmare performance as he connected on just 18 of his 36 passes for 172 yards, 0 touchdowns, and interceptions. It forced head coach Raheem Morris to bring in Cousins. And potentially start a QB controversy after a 30-0 loss on Sunday.
Carson Wentz brings life to Minnesota Vikings’ offense
Speaking of backup QBS, the Minnesota Vikings vs. Cincinnati Bengals game was a clash of QB understudies between Carson Wentz and Jake Browning. However, the NFC team got a far better performance. The former first-round pick missed on just six of his 20 passes and led the Vikes to a pair of first-quarter TD drives. While they scored 48 on Sunday because of the outstanding play of their defense, Wentz helped bring the efficiency that their offense lacked in the first two weeks.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers steal victory from defeat
The Buccaneers should have totally been on the wrong side of a surprise upset loss like the Packers. They entered the fourth quarter with a 23-6 lead and were running away with an easy NFL Week 3 win over the Jets. Then they coughed it all up and allowed New York to take the lead with a fourth-quarter blocked field goal and touchdown. However, they showed the guts of a real Super Bowl contender by battling back in the final minutes to set up a game-winning field goal late. It was a perfect example of stealing victory from the jaws of defeat.
Dan Quinn is tougher than your coach
In a moment that showed Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quin is an absolute bad a**, early in the second half of their game, he was trucked after Marcus Mariota was pushed into him on the sideline. It was a nasty hit, and the 55-year-old looked like he had hit his head on the ground after being knocked down. However, he got back up, bloodied nose and all, and kept coaching like nothing had happened. The former defensive coordinator scored a bunch of points with his players and fans in their win on Sunday.
Bryce Young’s average game part of blowout win
Here is Bryce Young’s stat line in NFL Week 3. He was 16 of 24 passing for 121 yards and no passing touchdowns. That should be the sort of numbers that would be for the team that lost. Instead, his Carolina Panthers won 30-0 against the Atlanta Falcons. It shows that even in an era where strong QB play is usually the only way to win, good defense can still get Ws each week.
Jordan Mason leads the way for the Minnesota Vikings
Carson Wentz was not the real story for the Vikings in NFL Week 3. Not only did they not have starting QB JJ McCarthy, but a hamstring injury put star running back Aaron Jones on IR this week. Yet, it somehow didn’t matter. Wentz was solid on Sunday, and backup RB Jordan Masson played like a Pro Bowler as he rumbled for 116 yards and two TDs on just 16 carries against the Bengals.
CJ Stroud continues to disappoint
We really need to be worried about CJ Stroud. His rough starts in 2024 were chalked up to a sophomore slump and some bad luck on offense. Now it seems like he just has a bad line, and it is getting into his head. In three starts this season, he’s barely thrown over 200 yards in two games, including Sunday, and has just two TD passes. The Houston Texans seemed like a team on the rise two seasons ago. Now, they are 0-3, and there are questions about whether Stroud can really be a star in the league.
Related Headlines
Category: General Sports
